Ice cube tongs



Nov. 13, 1934. A. H, AcKERsoN 1,980,465

ICE CUBE ToNGs I Filed Nov. 25, 1932 lin-m n Q @Mmm v www, I

Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES ICE CUBE TONGS Alfred H. Ackerson, Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignor to lUtili-Tong, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 25, 1932', Serial No. `644,300

3 Claims.

This invention relates to tongs for use in picking up and handling ice cubes, sugar cubes, nuts, sweetmeats and other articles of similar nature and size.

The present invention is a continuation, in

- part, of my copending application, Serial No.

628,466, iled August 12, 1932, and, in its preferred embodiment, is directed to the provision of a miniature tongs comprising a tubular body portion having an actuating stem extending therethrough. The stem has a button secured at one end, and a grooved collar is suitably secured to the other end. The stem is capable of reciprocal movement within the body portion, and

is maintained in position by a coiled spring encircling the stem and abutting against the button for normally holding the stem in raised position to maintain the jaws closed. Of .course, it

is to be understood that, i1 desired, the operation of the device may be reversed, so that the jaws are normally maintained opened, and are closed by the depressing of the button.

The tong members comprise a pair of pivotally mounted tines which are disposed at the lower end of the tubular body portion, and which have extending integral cam portions engaging in suitable recesses in the grooved collar for moving the A tongs into open and closed position upon movement of the stem and collar. The tong members are pivotally engaged within a yoked collar secured over the end of the tubulary body portion.

The tongs have a relatively large ratio of movement with respect to the movement of the collar,

because of the'proximity of the pivots with respect to the grooved collar. The ends of the vtongs are preferably sharply pointed, and the spring is of sufficient strength to force the ends to` bite intothe surface of the. engaged article and to urge the tongs to closed position. An an- 40 nular ange on the tubular body portion provides a grip for the fingers of the operator,'and the enlarged head or button on the stem is engaged by the thumb or palm of the hand when it is desired to compress the spring to open the tongs.

A primary object of the present invention is the provision of a tongs of the class described ton are botl' ltted upon the reciprocal` stem, and therefore cannot be disassembled when the device has been once assembled. Further, if

desired, I provide bottle opening means secured upon the tubular body.portion,'preferably adjacent the lower end thereof, which may be press tted thereon. This manner of securing the constituent parts of the device in assembled relation eliminates the use of threads, welding, knurl- .6,5

Vidual tong members, the yokes being formedas integral portions of a collar which is press tted over the end of the body portion, andfwhich yokes. are engagedby hooked portions of the tong members. 'Ihese yoke supports provide for rocking movement of the tong members thereabout,

and eliminate the use of a bearing and pivot pin for assembling the tongs uponthe tubularbody portion. l

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully in connection with the following detailed description,l which, together with the accompanying drawing,wil1 disclose to those skilled in the art the particular construction and operation of a preferred form of the invention.

In; the drawingrl Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tongs, showing theV manner in which they engage'an ice cube, or similar article; v

Figure 2 is any enlarged sectional elevational view of the tongs; and

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Considering now in detail the drawing, thetongs comprise a tubular body portion 5, of equal cross section throughout, which body portion is adapted to receive a reciprocal stem member 6. The stem 6 is of substantially the same length as the body portion 5, and is provided at its upper' end with an operating button 8, the button having a suitable recess andbeing press fitted over the end of the stem to secure it thereto. 4At its lower end the stem 6 is provided with a collar member 9, having an annular groove 10 formed therein. This collar is also press tted over the end of the stem 6.

Pressed over the tubular body portion, and secured at a convenient distance from the upper end thereof, is an annular flange or finger piece A12, and disposed above and within the tubular body portion is a ring member 13 which serves as a seat for the coiled spring member 14 extending about thestem 6 and abutting against the inner shoulder of the button 8. .The JIange.,u

12 is engaged by the ngers of the operator for providing a grip upon the tongs when it is vdesired to depress the button 8 for actuating the tong members.

The grooved collar 10is provided 'with a pair of diametrically opposed recesses 15 `and 16, which are adapted to receive the cam ends 17 and 18 of the tines 20. These cam surfaces ride within the recesses 15 and 16 and the groove 10 of the collar 9, and are adapted to rock the tines .about their yoke supports upon lreciprocal move- 'ment of thecollar 9 occasioned by depressing v and releasing the button member 8.

The tines 20 are each provided with ahooked `portion ,'21 engaging' about a'yoked support 22 formed Aintegrally with an annular collar 23 secured over the end of the vtubular member 5. This collar is shown` clearly in Figure 2. The

yoke supports 22 comprise downwardly turned engage about the lower ends ofthe supports 22 vto provide 4for a pivoted engagement therewith, allowing rocking of the tines about this point.

If desired, a bottle opener maybe also provided upon rthe tongs, this bottle opener compris- 'ing asubstantially channel shaped metal stamping `25 'having the extending `leg portions engaging about the tubular body vportion 5, these leg -portions vbeing indicated at 26 and 27 in Figures 1 and 2. The stamping 25 is also provided with the-extending tongue member 28, ladapted to be placed over the cap -of a bottle, and with rthe curved tongue member 29 adapted to bevengaged Yunder -theflip of -the cap for'raising the same.

The -tines 20 are of the shape shown generally in Fig. 2, and are provided with integral inwardly extending tip portions 30 which are preferably sharply pointed, to bitev into .the surface of the :article being gripped -by the tongs, this particu- .lar feature being disclosed in Figure 1, ,in which the tongs are shown as engaging an ice cube 31.

Inassembling the constituent parts of the .device, the ange member 12 is i-lrst Apressed down-k wardly over the body portion 5 to the position shown in Figure 2, this pressure .of the flange tending to compress the body portion. The ring .13 is then forced downwardly into the interior of :the body portion 5, the ring 13 preferably being Aof `a `diameter slightly in excess of the internal ydiameter of Vthe -body portion 45 to provide a .pressed fit therein. This memberr 13 is Vforced to a position directlyabove the lflange member ,12, and is held in this ,position by means Vof the pressed nt, cooperating with the internal compression occasioned .by the engagement .of the .outer ,flange member 12, to `remain in xed position within the .body portion 5. The bottle opening means 25 is then press fitted over the opposite end of the body portion to a position such as shown, and the ring member 23 is then press fitted over the end of the body portion 5 and securely held in position therewith. The tine members 20 are then secured in the yoke supports 22 by passing the camportions 17 and 18 andthe hookportions 21 ,thereof through the slots 24-until the hook portions lare so positioned Vfas-,to .drop down below the supports to provide the pivotal connection as shown in Figure 2. The stem 6, together with the collar member 9 which is press tted thereon, is then inserted through the lower end of the body portion 5, land the loppositely ldisposed recesses 15 and 16 `are disposed therein, providing the structure as vagainst the lupper end of the .spring 14.-l The spring is thus compresse'dslightly `by the button member 8 and tends to hold the button member 8m 100 together with the stem 6, inits upper limiting'position, as` determined Aby 4the flanged portion 32 lof the collar 9.

In the Operation lof the device, Ythe button is depressed to spread the tongy members V20 apar't05 to receive thearticle'being gripped. Release of the button '8 allows the spring 14 to'force 'the stem 6 upwardly to close the tong mem'bersabout the article, the pointed ends. 30 "biting into the surface of the article .to secure a'rm'igrip Athere-,5,7110 upon. '.I't will benoted 'that the supports "22 for" the tong members are .positioned closely adjacent the camportions 17 and 18thereof, so that arelatively small movement of the camportionswill result `in a greatly increased ratio of movement.; 15 of the tong ends '30. This .ratio of movement, the preferred embodiment of my'invention, is approximately 25 to 1 although this may bevaried, depending upon the use 'to which'the device is put.

.It is apparent :thatybecause of the pressed Vfltmmo of the elements with respect to each other,f1.hat the device .may be manufactured very economically, and maybe assembled in a simple and rapid manner. Also, this pressed fit of "the .parts 'insures that there will be no altering or removal 'ofwlg 5 any of the elements after the device has once been assembled, and thereforerenders 'the'tongs .fool-.proof after assembly.

AI do inot intend to belimited to `the exact details shown and .described'but only insofar as cle-130 .ned by vthe scope and spirit of the appendedim Acam portionsinsaid grooved collar and .to engage saidhook vportions about said yoke portions, and

agspring member normally maintaining said stem [45 in Iraised ,position to .close said tongs.

2. In a tongs Ahaving .a tubular body portion .and a stem mounted for reciprocal movement therein, the'combination of Va grooved collar. press fitted .over the lower end tof said stem and having. .150

opposed recessed portions, a second collar press fitted over the lower end of said body portion and having integral angularly extending yoke P01'- ticns, tong members having cam portions and hook portions, said tong members being passed through said yoke portions to engage said cam portions in said recessed portions of said grooved collar and to engage said hook portions about said yoke portions, and a spring member normally maintaining said stem in raised position to close said tongs.

3. In a tongs having a tubular body portion, a reciprocal stem mounted in said body portion, and a spring for normally maintaining said stem in raised position, the method of providing a, seat for said spring interiorly of said body portion, 

